Comments for Scatmania http://www.scatmania.org The adventures and thoughts of "Scatman" Dan Q Wed, 16 May 2012 19:54:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 2 by Jimmy http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/15/cinema-2/#comment-8804 Jimmy Wed, 16 May 2012 19:54:30 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4683#comment-8804 You seen an action film in 3-D yet? Avengers made me feel ill for the following 48 hours. If a blurry action shot is on screen for a fraction of a second, and you focus on the bit that isn't the bit they want you to focus on, it just hits you in the nausea pipes. Unfortunatly both screens in Aberystwyth are 3-D now so there's no (legal) alternative if I wanted to watch it soon. You seen an action film in 3-D yet? Avengers made me feel ill for the following 48 hours. If a blurry action shot is on screen for a fraction of a second, and you focus on the bit that isn’t the bit they want you to focus on, it just hits you in the nausea pipes. Unfortunatly both screens in Aberystwyth are 3-D now so there’s no (legal) alternative if I wanted to watch it soon.

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by Scatman Dan http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8763 Scatman Dan Tue, 15 May 2012 19:20:01 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8763 I'm guessing that a few reboots fixed it then, because by the time we were leaving they were promising the audience that they'd be starting within the next few minutes. Either that or they've got damn fast engineers in these parts. /shrugs/ I’m guessing that a few reboots fixed it then, because by the time we were leaving they were promising the audience that they’d be starting within the next few minutes. Either that or they’ve got damn fast engineers in these parts. /shrugs/

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by The Pacifist http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8762 The Pacifist Tue, 15 May 2012 18:08:59 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8762 Ah. Yeah. In that case they'd have to call an engineer out. When one breaks down there's not much the projectionist can do besides try turning it off and on again. But yeah, they should have at least told you. Ah. Yeah. In that case they’d have to call an engineer out. When one breaks down there’s not much the projectionist can do besides try turning it off and on again. But yeah, they should have at least told you.

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by Scatman Dan http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8747 Scatman Dan Tue, 15 May 2012 12:22:16 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8747 This wasn't "20 minutes to repair the problem": this was "20 minutes until I got bored enough to go and ask what was going on, and why they hadn't announced that there was a problem." There was then a further 10 minutes before they took my advice and apologised to the audience, by which point we were already stood out in the foyer, waiting for the manager so that we could get our money back. Apparently screen 6 is digital, based on the discussion between the people who were repairing it. This wasn’t “20 minutes to repair the problem”: this was “20 minutes until I got bored enough to go and ask what was going on, and why they hadn’t announced that there was a problem.” There was then a further 10 minutes before they took my advice and apologised to the audience, by which point we were already stood out in the foyer, waiting for the manager so that we could get our money back.

Apparently screen 6 is digital, based on the discussion between the people who were repairing it.

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 2 | Scatmania http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8746 Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 2 | Scatmania Tue, 15 May 2012 11:19:02 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8746 [...] that I’ve ever had. I went to the cinema twice, and both times I left dissatisfied. An earlier blog post talked about the second of the two trips: this is about the [...] [...] that I’ve ever had. I went to the cinema twice, and both times I left dissatisfied. An earlier blog post talked about the second of the two trips: this is about the [...]

]]> Comment on Pay To Post by Claire Q http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/11/pay-to-post/#comment-8744 Claire Q Tue, 15 May 2012 09:13:53 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4660#comment-8744 I think heuristics are going to be the next thing for this. Look at priority inbox, for example. It may not be perfect yet but it's beyond spam detection (mainly based on who things are from) and into what you personally interact with most often. On Facebook you can already say "don't show me this person's updates ever again" but imagine if it could be more subtle than that, and learn from what you comment on and like. I'm sure they're already working on it. I don't like the economic model because of the obvious unfairness that creates. If you could get virtual currency a la stackoverflow for creating 'liked' content and rating others' content well, that you can then spend on promoting your own stuff, that might solve it, with the addition of personal heuristics to customise. I don't fully understand why some don't want targeted ads. I don't want ads for things I don't care about, but the more relevant the ad is the more likely it is to be useful rather than annoying! The idea that they are stealing your data is also prevalent, when really they are improving your experience *with* your permission. Sure, FB have definitely used it for unethical purposes but that's an argument against the ethos of FB, not against the use of personal data to customise the experience of the user. That's morally neutral. I think heuristics are going to be the next thing for this. Look at priority inbox, for example. It may not be perfect yet but it’s beyond spam detection (mainly based on who things are from) and into what you personally interact with most often. On Facebook you can already say “don’t show me this person’s updates ever again” but imagine if it could be more subtle than that, and learn from what you comment on and like. I’m sure they’re already working on it. I don’t like the economic model because of the obvious unfairness that creates. If you could get virtual currency a la stackoverflow for creating ‘liked’ content and rating others’ content well, that you can then spend on promoting your own stuff, that might solve it, with the addition of personal heuristics to customise.

I don’t fully understand why some don’t want targeted ads. I don’t want ads for things I don’t care about, but the more relevant the ad is the more likely it is to be useful rather than annoying! The idea that they are stealing your data is also prevalent, when really they are improving your experience *with* your permission. Sure, FB have definitely used it for unethical purposes but that’s an argument against the ethos of FB, not against the use of personal data to customise the experience of the user. That’s morally neutral.

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by The Pacifist http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8729 The Pacifist Mon, 14 May 2012 18:46:39 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8729 I do recommend writing to Vue Corporate. They were quick to reply when I did so... I assume they don't like Vue Oxford making them look bad. Again. And twenty minutes is disgraceful. Unless the bulb has blown. But that shouldn't happen as they need time to warm up, which means they should have known some minutes before the scheduled start time. If it was something like a snapped film (Which it could be - only screen 1 there is digital AFAIK) then my record for repairing and getting the film back on is 45 seconds. Unless they have completed their plan of replaying them all with digital projectors. In which case you're on your own. This just goes to show that switching everything to a system where people on-site can't fix it, and then proceeding to sack all the qualified people does not necessarily give a better customer experience... I do recommend writing to Vue Corporate. They were quick to reply when I did so… I assume they don’t like Vue Oxford making them look bad. Again.

And twenty minutes is disgraceful. Unless the bulb has blown. But that shouldn’t happen as they need time to warm up, which means they should have known some minutes before the scheduled start time. If it was something like a snapped film (Which it could be – only screen 1 there is digital AFAIK) then my record for repairing and getting the film back on is 45 seconds.

Unless they have completed their plan of replaying them all with digital projectors. In which case you’re on your own. This just goes to show that switching everything to a system where people on-site can’t fix it, and then proceeding to sack all the qualified people does not necessarily give a better customer experience…

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by @VueCinemas (via Twitter) http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8718 @VueCinemas (via Twitter) Mon, 14 May 2012 12:20:43 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8718 <a href="https://twitter.com/scatmandan" rel="nofollow">@scatmandan</a> ..contact our customer service team should you wish to via <a href="http://bit.ly/tVRwms" rel="nofollow">bit.ly/tVRwms</a> @scatmandan ..contact our customer service team should you wish to via bit.ly/tVRwms

]]> Comment on Worst Weekend Of Cinema – Part 1 by @VueCinemas (via Twitter) http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/14/cinema-1/#comment-8717 @VueCinemas (via Twitter) Mon, 14 May 2012 12:20:27 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4675#comment-8717 <a href="https://twitter.com/scatmandan" rel="nofollow">@scatmandan</a> Thanks for ur feedback and sorry to hear u had a bad experience. Glad the G.Manager spoke with you to resolve this. U can also.. @scatmandan Thanks for ur feedback and sorry to hear u had a bad experience. Glad the G.Manager spoke with you to resolve this. U can also..

]]> Comment on Pay To Post by Scatman Dan http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/11/pay-to-post/#comment-8660 Scatman Dan Sat, 12 May 2012 09:46:28 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4660#comment-8660 Yes, I still use IRC virtually every day. But I can't remember the last time that I had an off-topic conversation on there (that wasn't a personal, one-on-one conversation). It's almost as if everybody leaving and going to the social networks made things less-banal on IRC! I'll tell you what, it's certainly made things quieter! That said: the idle chatter was never the major reason I left Facebook, anyway! (I still read people on Twitter who mostly post bollocks) I guess I'm just an old fogey who pines for the days when the Internet was just a place for geeks to hang out, before we started letting these normal people onto it! Yes, I still use IRC virtually every day. But I can’t remember the last time that I had an off-topic conversation on there (that wasn’t a personal, one-on-one conversation). It’s almost as if everybody leaving and going to the social networks made things less-banal on IRC! I’ll tell you what, it’s certainly made things quieter!

That said: the idle chatter was never the major reason I left Facebook, anyway! (I still read people on Twitter who mostly post bollocks)

I guess I’m just an old fogey who pines for the days when the Internet was just a place for geeks to hang out, before we started letting these normal people onto it!

]]> Comment on Pay To Post by Rory http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/11/pay-to-post/#comment-8644 Rory Fri, 11 May 2012 18:17:10 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=4660#comment-8644 Do you still use IRC? I often think the chatter you see on a social network very much looks like what you see in any group chat environment - people post a mixture of interesting and banal things, I don't see why you get so worked up about it. It's easy enough to mute anyone or choose to subscribe just to 'important' updates from them (whatever they are). Facebook in general also does a fair job of bubbling up more interesting updates as they tend to have the most likes and comments. Do you still use IRC? I often think the chatter you see on a social network very much looks like what you see in any group chat environment – people post a mixture of interesting and banal things, I don’t see why you get so worked up about it. It’s easy enough to mute anyone or choose to subscribe just to ‘important’ updates from them (whatever they are). Facebook in general also does a fair job of bubbling up more interesting updates as they tend to have the most likes and comments.

]]> Comment on Hello, Facebook; Goodbye, Facebook by Pay To Post | Scatmania http://www.scatmania.org/2011/12/18/goodbye-facebook/#comment-8636 Pay To Post | Scatmania Fri, 11 May 2012 15:09:44 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=3648#comment-8636 [...] I’m not on Facebook, but I think that this is a really interesting piece of news. The biggest thing that makes Facebook unusable (and which also affects Twitter) is that people will post every little banal thing that comes to their mind. I don’t care what you’re eating for your lunch. I don’t want to read the lyrics of some song that must have been written for you. I really can’t stand your chain messages (for a while there, after I hadn’t received any by email for a few years, I hoped that they’d died out… but it turns out that they just moved to Facebook instead). If you’re among my friends, I know that you have some pretty smart and interesting things to say… but unless I’m willing to spend hours sifting through the detritus it’s buried in, I’ll never find it. [...] [...] I’m not on Facebook, but I think that this is a really interesting piece of news. The biggest thing that makes Facebook unusable (and which also affects Twitter) is that people will post every little banal thing that comes to their mind. I don’t care what you’re eating for your lunch. I don’t want to read the lyrics of some song that must have been written for you. I really can’t stand your chain messages (for a while there, after I hadn’t received any by email for a few years, I hoped that they’d died out… but it turns out that they just moved to Facebook instead). If you’re among my friends, I know that you have some pretty smart and interesting things to say… but unless I’m willing to spend hours sifting through the detritus it’s buried in, I’ll never find it. [...]

]]> Comment on On This Day In 2005 by Claire Q (via Twitter) http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/04/on-this-day-in-2005/#comment-8458 Claire Q (via Twitter) Fri, 04 May 2012 10:18:32 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=3920#comment-8458 @pickettywitch I have a blog post from then that says "my vote fucking counted"... too sweary, too idealistic. @pickettywitch I have a blog post from then that says “my vote fucking counted”… too sweary, too idealistic.

]]> Comment on On This Day In 2005 by Claire Q (via Twitter) http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/04/on-this-day-in-2005/#comment-8459 Claire Q (via Twitter) Fri, 04 May 2012 10:16:48 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=3920#comment-8459 @pickettywitch We'd use our youth for *good* if we had it now! Whiny ingrates. @pickettywitch We’d use our youth for *good* if we had it now! Whiny ingrates.

]]> Comment on On This Day In 2005 by Sian (via Twitter) http://www.scatmania.org/2012/05/04/on-this-day-in-2005/#comment-8457 Sian (via Twitter) Fri, 04 May 2012 10:15:08 +0000 http://www.scatmania.org/?p=3920#comment-8457 @Eskoala Exactly! Makes me miss those times but not so much the me I was back then! @Eskoala Exactly! Makes me miss those times but not so much the me I was back then!

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